Examining the contribution of segmental, suprasegmental, and non-linguistic skills to early word reading in Spanish-speaking preschoolers

Abstract Suprasegmental phonology, encompassing the rhythmic elements of spoken language, plays a significant role in early reading acquisition. Despite growing evidence of its importance, the relationships among suprasegmental and segmental phonological skills, non-linguistic rhythmic abilities and early reading development remain insufficiently specified. The present study examines how these skills contribute to early word reading in Spanish-speaking preschoolers. A total of 250 five-year-old children were assessed on segmental phonology, suprasegmental phonology (stress awareness), non-linguistic rhythmic skills, basic cognitive abilities and word reading. A predictive model of early reading was tested using structural equation modelling. The results obtained indicated that non-linguistic rhythm significantly predicted stress awareness, and that both non-linguistic rhythm and stress awareness predicted phonological awareness. In turn, phonological awareness and non-linguistic rhythm directly predicted word reading performance. These findings highlight the contribution of prosodic competence and non-linguistic rhythmic skills to early reading development. The implications of prosodic competence for reading development are discussed.